Kai and Ibaraki walked back to Chinatown after everything was settled. The walk was silent, and no one spoke a single word.
His mind was still wandering around what John had said. It rang inside his mind, refusing to leave.
As a highly curious person, Kai wanted to know what happened in New York City. He couldn't settle down his desire to try to find out what was happening.
There was also something he hid from John. It was about the Alchemist. The old man seemed to be oblivious to that strange man's presence.
As he was lost in thoughts, Ibaraki called out from the side. "Master." Her voice was soft and shy. She had returned to her usual self.
Kai turned around to Ibaraki. She had a worried expression on her face.
"Are you okay?" The Oni girl asked as her lips quivered.
He smiled at her to reassure her. His hand instinctively moved toward her head for some reason, petting her hair and fixing some parts that got messy from being hit by the wind. "I am okay."
However, the Oni girl narrowed her eyes. She looked at her suspiciously. "Are you sure, Master? If you command me, I will find the root of the problem in this city."
Giving her a look of surprise, he quickly replaced it with a smile. Apparently, Ibaraki already knew what was bugging his mind. The Oni seemed to be sensitive about feeling more than feeling some presence.
He stopped on his track and looked at the sky. It had turned orange as the sun loomed around the horizon. A soft breeze of wind swiped his hair, and he heaved a soft sigh.
"To be honest, I want to know about it."
With a serious expression, he looked at his second contracted Mythical being.
Right, he had decided since the start. He would dive down the deepest part of the Supernatural World without worrying about anything. Amber and Ibaraki knew that and supported him. They were his strength.
Whether it was dangerous or not, he wanted to know about it. His curiosity needed to be satisfied. And the danger needed to be weeded out.
While John said Chinatown wouldn't be in danger, his feeling said otherwise.
"I want to find out about it." He told her honestly. "Will you accompany me? I know this will put us in danger, but I want to know more about it."
"Of course, Master." Ibaraki smiled happily as she took Kai's hand, clutching it between hers. "I will be happy to!"
***
Arriving at his restaurant, the first thing Kai noticed was the lack of people around the area. No one was drinking in the usual stall, and his restaurant was closed, so no customers came.
Amber was the only presence in the area. She sat inside the restaurant, waving her hand softly as he and Ibaraki entered.
"Welcome back, Kai." The Phoenix girl greeted him softly and smiled. "You too, Ibaraki."
"Un." Ibaraki nodded his head at Amber's greeting.
"We're back." Kai greeted her back and sat on the chair near her. "Also, we bring something to talk about too."
"Hmm?" Amber hummed as she let Ibaraki sit beside her. "Something to talk about?"
"Yeah." He nodded, pulling out the paper he got from the Alchemist and putting it on the table. "I'm curious about something, and I need your help. Will you help me?"
"Alright." The Phoenix girl replied with a smile. "That sounds interesting. And you know that I will always help you, right?"
Kai smiled at her words. Right, Amber had said she would always follow him and his command.
The girls who contracted with him were prepared to follow him even to the pit of hell. He knew their commitment was nothing to scoff at. If they said they would do it, then they would do it.
While he knew this would be dangerous, his curiosity still drove him to jump into this trouble. He might be able to find a clue about the Boogeymen if he got involved in this problem.
"Then it's decided."
'Sorry, old man John. But I will also get involved in this problem.'
***
Around a serene and calm water area in Central Park, two old people were throwing bait for fish. To be honest, this place wasn't the place to fish. They would get banned from Central Park if they were found.
However, when they fish in this park, they'd always put a barrier so normal people couldn't see them.
Originally, they were coming to this place in a group of 3. But one of them felt something unusual and left.
"He sure takes his fucking time, that John." Marcus spat out a nasty word as he reeled his fishing rod. "Oh! I got a fish!"
"That looks like a big one!" Billy, Marcus' friend, commented.
He threw more bait and began to fish. "Well, take your time, Marcus. Maybe he found something that made him late."
"Bah! What kind of thing made him late? It's just looking at some problems and returning. What's difficult about that?"
A snapping sound echoed as Marcus finished his sentence, and a loud curse followed. "Ah, FUCK! It snapped!"
At that time, a swirling sound was heard from behind, and an old man appeared from behind a tree with a serious look.
"Did you wait long?"
The one who just appeared was smiling while holding a book.
"I've got a clue."
"Fucking finally!" Marcus threw his fishing rod to the side and rose from the ground. "What's that, John?"
"A core of a barrier, so to speak." John looked at the book in his hand. "Oh, I had a reason to be late, okay? I met your grandson."
The old man looked up and grinned.
That sentence made Marcus freeze in his spot. His expression hardened as he narrowed his eyes.
"So, as expected?" He asked with a chilling voice. His shadow wriggled uncomfortably, sensing his anger began to rise. "They are fucking targeting Kai?"
"Seems so." John handed the book to Marcus. "But he seems to be fine, and I have warned him to stay out of this and not to worry."
Marcus took the book and looked at "Huh?! You did what?"
"I warned him," John replied with a confused look. When he saw Marcus' strange expression, he couldn't help but ask. "What?"
"That boy will definitely poke his head into this, right, Marcus?" Billy pointed out and let out an amused laugh.
"Fuck!" Marcus couldn't help but curse when Billy pointed out the obvious.
"My bad." John apologized immediately, but there was not a shred of guilt written in his face. Instead, he just chuckled and approached them.
Marcus kept grumbling as he looked at the book that was now in his hand. Then he suddenly calmed down, realizing something. "But that might be better."
As he tossed the book back to John, a sad expression appeared on his face.
"I've promised to keep him out of the Supernatural World until he's ready. But now he has two Mythical beings with him. He's also an adult, so he will know the danger he'd face."
His expression turned normal as a burst of laughter escaped his mouth.
"Right. He needs to experience some pain. That Phoenix chick will definitely protect him. I don't need to worry anymore. I hope…"
He picked up his fishing rod again and replaced the hook that needed to be replaced as John and Billy looked at him with warm gazes. His friend had apparently been able to keep his sadness from clouding his decision.
Billy patted Marcus' shoulder and said, "I will get the biggest fish this time."
"Hah! Small fry like you shouldn't try. Proof it to me, bastard!"
John took his fishing rod that was on the ground not too far from them and sat beside Billy. "No no no, the two of you are too naïve! It will be me who gets the biggest fish!"
"Oh, alright! This will be a game, you fuckers!"
The three old men appeared young as they argued about who would get the biggest fish. Their appearance might be old, but their spirit hasn't withered yet.
Oblivious to the other two, who were still arguing, John smiled as he thought.
'I made the correct decision for doing that. I hope that lifts the worry in your mind, Marcus. That brat is already strong, maybe stronger than us combined.'
***
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